Modification of a Computer Simulation Model for a Plant-Nematode System

H. Ferris

Abstract

New data on egg development and death rates, and refinements of logic concerning interaction of the nematode and host, were incorporated into a simulation model of a Meloidogyne arenaria and grapevine system. Simulations of field data improved but other areas of weakness in the model were discovered. Two peaks in the egg population curve suggested that the nematode was able to complete two life cycles before host dormancy and declining temperatures limited physiological activity. Key Words: Meloidogyne arenaria, population dynamics, nematode-host interaction.